The Volunteer Reception scheduled for 3/18 is cancelled and will be rescheduled. We apologize for any inconvenience.

March 18, 2015

Dear Parents:

The purpose of this letter is to provide an update on the situation that caused Paulsboro High School to close early on Wednesday, March 18, 2015.

On the morning of Monday, March 16, 2015, we noticed an oily smell in Paulsboro High School. The smell was a result of an “operational problem” at Paulsboro Refining Company that caused chemicals to be released into the air. As a precaution, the Paulsboro Police, EMS and Paulsboro Fire Department were called to the school in order to monitor air quality in the building. The monitors did not detect anything in the air that was dangerous. Officials from Paulsboro Refining Company also conducted air quality monitoring with the same result.

The same situation also took place on the morning of Tuesday, March 17, 2015. Again, we contacted emergency management who promptly came to the school. Once again, the monitoring did not detect anything dangerous.

As a precaution, if students or members of the staff felt ill, we allowed them to go home.

Unfortunately, the same situation occurred on the morning of Wednesday, March 18, 2015. This time, the air quality monitors did detect sustained levels of chemicals that are dangerous. As Superintendent of Schools, in consultation with emergency management officials, I immediately ordered Paulsboro High School to be evacuated.

Approximately 13 students and staff members felt ill. They were transported to Inspira Hospital in Woodbury to be examined.

Emergency management personnel were dispatched to Loudenslager Elementary School and Billingsport Early Childhood Center in order to monitor air quality in those buildings. Nothing dangerous was detected in the air. For this reason, school continued for the rest of the day.

At 4:30 AM on Thursday morning, emergency management personnel will monitor air quality in the schools. If the air quality is safe, schools will be open on Thursday. If not, I will notify parents and staff in the same manner as used during a snow emergency.

I am sorry that this situation existed. Rest assured that the Board of Education and administration will continue to take those actions needed to assure the safety of the students and staff.

The Board of Education and the Paulsboro School Family offers a sincere thank you to all of the residents of Paulsboro who voted in the Special Election on Tuesday. The overwhelming support that the two questions received is humbling.

We will now prepare to undertake just over $8,000,000 in repairs and upgrades to the school buildings and grounds. The Board of Education and administration will work to assure that every dollar is spent wisely.

It is our hope that the work will begin as soon as the school year ends. If everything goes well, most of the repairs should be complete before the schools reopen in September. We will provide ongoing information about the progress of the repairs and upgrades.

Once again, thank you for voting and for your support of the Paulsboro Public Schools.

Welcome to the website for the Paulsboro Public Schools. It is our goal to create a website that is user- friendly, well-written, and provides valuable resources to our online guests. Above all, we hope that it reflects our commitment to helping the children of Paulsboro and Greenwich Township learn and mature into productive citizens.

Every staff member embodies the family atmosphere that is the hallmark of the Paulsboro Public Schools. Our decisions about students consistently reflect the guiding principle: “If this was my child, what would I expect?”

In the 21st century, we understand the value of an online presence. On the other hand, personal interactions are crucial in education. Administrators, teachers, and staff members are available to talk with you on the telephone or meet in-person.

Children are more successful when the adults in their lives cooperate, communicate, and are consistent. Please reach out to us via this website, by telephone, or in-person. We are here to serve the families of two wonderful communities. Remember, if it is important to you then it is important to us.

Best wishes as we work together on our shared mission: Helping the children of Paulsboro and Greenwich Township learn and mature.